"What? You want to be Bai Yujing's stepfather? What do you mean—"
Li Qianfan was stunned by the request from Young Master Du Tianci.
"Boss," Du Tianci looked up and said truthfully, "As you know, I was such a scoundrel before. I've been with at least eighty, if not a hundred women. Honestly, I've wanted to for a long time. Sigh! What am I even saying? I was only attracted to Jiao Meibi's beauty, and I didn't care about her age! The key is that she just told me she's single now! More importantly, you said she can still have children. And the most crucial thing is..."
"Holy crap."
Li Qianfan quickly lit a cigarette. He needed the nicotine to help stabilize his emotions, lest his left hand rebel and deliver a resounding slap to this idiot.
Du Tianci lowered his head and said, "The thought of marrying Bai Yujing's mother, someone who used to look down on me, fills me with uncontrollable excitement. Also, I had a brief chat with her just now, and I feel like my philandering heart has finally found its ultimate home."
"Your mother!"
Li Qianfan slowly began to understand. He had to admit, this was indeed Young Master Tianci. Just because Bai Yujing looked down on him, he had to marry Bai Yujing's mother and become her stepfather! How bizarre was that? As for Du Tianci and Jiao Meibi finding their soulmates after a brief chat, it was probably no better than a fart.
Li Qianfan frowned. He truly bore no responsibility or obligation to ensure Jiao Meibi's lifelong happiness. However, Li Qianfan would never allow that pitiful woman, who had finally escaped the tiger's den, to be toyed with by a man with ulterior motives!
"Boss," Du Tianci, while glancing at Li Qianfan out of the corner of his eye, suddenly knelt on one knee towards the west and raised his hand to swear, "I swear to heaven that I will treat her as my wife. If I merely treat her as a plaything due to her beauty, then may thunder strike me, Du Tianci, and may my descendants be thieves and prostitutes for generations to come!"
"Hmm?"
Li Qianfan, who had just put on a stern face, was once again stunned. He stared intently into Du Tianci's eyes. This time, Du Tianci did not dodge his gaze but met it bravely. After a full thirty seconds, Li Qianfan slowly said, "Du Tianci, I hope you reconsider carefully. Because once I agree, if you treat her poorly in the future, I will not let you go. You are marrying her with my consent."
"I understand, Boss," Du Tianci stood up and said, "When I was alone with her just now, I had an overwhelming, inexplicable delusion. It felt as if she had been desperately waiting for my appearance. Waiting for me to marry her and treat her well for a lifetime. That all the hardships I've suffered in my life were meant for this encounter, and that it was love at first sight when we were alone."
Li Qianfan—
He really didn't know what to say. He kicked Du Tianci out of the small pavilion and said, "Have Jiao Meibi come over."
A few minutes later, Jiao Meibi walked slowly into the small pavilion, her head bowed, twisting her clothes with her hands.
Li Qianfan said directly, "Du Tianci wishes to marry you."
Jiao Meibi hummed in agreement.
Li Qianfan then asked, "I just want to know, what are your thoughts?"
Jiao Meibi lowered her head and said, "If he treats me well, I will treat him well."
Li Qianfan asked, "What if he doesn't treat you well?"
"He covets my beauty, and I covet his youth," Jiao Meibi replied, not directly answering the question. "As long as he can give me a stable home and we can have a child together, I won't care what he does outside or if he has other women. Mr. Li, living out my remaining years peacefully is my greatest wish right now. Actually, from my perspective, marrying Du Tianci is far better than marrying any other stranger. After all, he made a promise to you before he decided to marry me."
She paused. Jiao Meibi added, "I am also confident that I can make him deeply experience the warmth of a home through me. As long as I am sincere towards him, I will eventually earn his genuine affection."
Since the woman had said all that, what else could Li Qianfan say?
"Alright," Li Qianfan said, "I can only hope your choice is the right one."
More than ten minutes later, Young Master Tianci and Jiao Meibi, hand in hand, their faces full of yearning for a beautiful tomorrow, walked towards the gate of the Flowing Water Pavilion. Just as they were about to exit, Jiao Meibi suddenly pulled Du Tianci's hand, turned, and bowed deeply to Li Qianfan together.
Li Qianfan sighed with emotion— Before they left, Li Qianfan had to state his requirements. That was that Jiao Meibi must not appear in public before leaving the Eastern Land. After they arrived in Kobe, Japan, Jiao Meibi should also live a secluded life and ideally be a full-time housewife. Their wedding should also be simple and low-key after they were completely settled in Japan.
Du Tianci and Jiao Meibi readily agreed to Li Qianfan's instructions.
"I've taken in three subordinates in total (Chen Dong, Tang Wenyuan, and Du Tianci), yet soon after taking them in, they all found partners. Does this mean I have an innate matchmaking aura for my subordinates? What is love in this world, that it can make a young man fall for an older woman?"
Li Qianfan muttered to himself, hands clasped behind his back, and slowly walked into the back courtyard of the Flowing Water Pavilion. Jiao Yin had just finished preparing dinner. Looking at the CEO of Dark Web Three, who was wearing a small apron, Li Qianfan felt that this woman also possessed some "virtuous wife and good mother" qualities. Especially an hour and a half later— Looking at Jiao Yin, who was curled up in his arms like a white Persian cat, her lips pursed in a look of lingering enjoyment, Li Qianfan couldn't help but ask, "We've already laid our cards on the table, why do you still do this?"
"Some things, once you get used to them, become addictive," Jiao Yin said lazily, lifting her left leg and waving it playfully in the air for a moment before draping it over his waist. "Before we laid our cards on the table, I always felt it was a humiliation when I did this. But now? I taste an indescribable feeling from it. Li Qianfan, dare you say that if I hadn't made such 'contributions' before, you would have shown me mercy when you were harshly criticizing me?"
Li Qianfan—
He asked, "Were you showing me mercy in the cave?"
"Heh, why are you playing dumb?" Jiao Yin chuckled coldly and asked, "If another man were with me, how would you feel?"
Li Qianfan remained silent.
Jiao Yin said, "No matter how you treat me in the future, it cannot change your subconscious selfish desire to not allow any other man to touch a single finger of mine."
Li Qianfan still didn't speak.
Jiao Yin snuggled closer, her voice as soft and charming as flowing water, "Little brother, let's have real battle. If this is a transaction, I can guarantee you won't lose money."
Li Qianfan shook his head.
Jiao Yin didn't seem displeased by this. After all, they could still be as affectionate and sleep together as before after laying their cards on the table. She wasn't afraid of not having a chance to capture this little guy later!
"Alright, the negotiation begins," Jiao Yin wrapped her arms around Li Qianfan's waist, resting her cheek on his chest, and said, "You speak first. What price do you expect me to pay to ensure my identity as the CEO of Dark Web Three is not known to the Eastern Land?"
Li Qianfan's left hand gently stroked her smooth hair. He looked up at the ceiling and asked, "Can you tell me how many subordinates you have cultivated and placed in the Eastern Land over the years?"
"Yes," Jiao Yin replied concisely. "As of now, besides the heavy losses in Sijiu, there are a total of 3688 subordinates spread across over a hundred prefecture-level cities in the north and south of the Yangtze River."
3688!
This was no small number. Even if they were dispersed across a hundred cities, Jiao Yin could rally them all with a single phone call and cause a massive uproar, inflicting irreparable damage on the Eastern Land!
Li Qianfan asked again, "Do all these people listen to you? Or are they people sent by the Dark Web headquarters to assist you?"
Jiao Yin answered truthfully again. "Among them, 88 are of the 'swallow' or 'sparrow' level. Fifty of them are confidantes I've cultivated with great effort over the years, and they will only be loyal to me. The other thirty-eight are supervisors sent by the Dark Web headquarters. They are somewhat like the eunuch supervisors in the Ming Dynasty, with the authority to report to headquarters at any time."
Li Qianfan asked, "Do you have any supervisors by your side?"
Jiao Yin replied indifferently, "There were three. But they all unfortunately met with accidents."
Accidents? What bullsh*t accidents! Those three "supervisors" sent to Jiao Yin's side were all cleverly dealt with by her!
"After the third supervisor met with an accident, the Chief Executive Officer stopped dispatching new personnel to my side," Jiao Yin continued. "Now I understand. It's precisely because I dislike being monitored that the Chief Executive Officer secretly dispatched the Fifth President to infiltrate the Eastern Land, attempting to chip away at my territory, take full control of my people and authority, and then eliminate me."
Internal strife— It was everywhere! Whether it was the Dark Web or the Dragon Ruins, whether domestic or international, Li Qianfan understood this well. He then asked, "Besides the Eastern Land, how many subordinates do you have in places like Japan and the East?"
Jiao Yin smiled. It was a charming, triumphant smile. Li Qianfan was puzzled. Her waist swayed provocatively, her eyes became hazy, and her voice flowed like water, "Little brother, take me tonight."
Li Qianfan looked at her. She looked back at Li Qianfan. "Tomorrow! I can orchestrate a plan for the 11,110 subordinates in the Eastern Land, Japan, and Korea to completely break away from the Dark Web and establish a new power that belongs only to us two! This new power will undoubtedly become a strong backing, along with the Su family, the Tang family, and other wealthy clans, to support you in successfully ascending to the position of Dragon Ruins Lord!"